Repeal 50-A

CPR's Intervention Motion in NYPD Misconduct Database Case

Posted on July 29, 2020

On July 28, 2020, Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliff LLP, filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit brought by five New York City police unions, as well as corrections and firefighter unions. The lawsuit seeks to block NYC from publishing officer misconduct and discipline information and roll back the repeal of Civil Rights Law § 50-a.

NYPD Fights to Keep Eyes Off Discipline Records

After a federal judge dismissed most of their bid for a preliminary injunction blocking the release of records, NYPD and fire unions are appealing.
01/19/2021
Courthouse News

MANHATTAN (CN) — Former New York City Police Department officers and firefighters who say Mayor Bill de Blasio put them in harm’s way by unsealing discipline records advanced their claims to the Second Circuit on Tuesday. 

In June of last year, the state repealed a rule that limited public access, except by court order, to the personnel performance records of police officers, firefighters and correction officers. 

For immediate release: January 19, 2021

Oral Arguments Conclude In Second Circuit On Police Unions’ Latest Attempt To Block Release Of Police Misconduct Records

Today, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments in the case brought by New York City police unions (along with corrections and fire unions) to stop the City of New York from releasing officer misconduct and discipline records to the public following the June 2020 repeal of the police secrecy law 50-a, by the New York State Legislature.

Tri-State Area Police Unions Fight to Keep Disciplinary Records Private

Lawsuits try to block states’ new laws and policies to increase transparency
10/12/2020
Wall Street Journal

Police unions in the tri-state region are fighting to block new measures that would give the public access to law-enforcement discipline records, which have long been confidential.

Lawmakers and officials in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut enacted new policing disclosure laws and policies in recent months, amid nationwide protests calling for greater accountability. Advocates who support such changes say police officers entrusted to use lethal force should be subject to greater transparency and held responsible for misconduct.

For immediate release: September 17, 2020

Court Allows “Very Temporary” Stay of Publication of NYPD Misconduct Records

In response to today’s ruling by the Second Circuit Court of Appeal panel of judges that temporarily blocks New York City’s publication of NYPD officer disciplinary records, Communities United for Police Reform, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP issued the following
For immediate release: August 25, 2020

Court Rules Communities United for Police Reform May Intervene in NYPD Misconduct Database Case

Group That Led #Repeal50a Campaign to Enter Police Unions’ Lawsuit Aimed at Rolling Back 50-a Repeal and Re-Entrenching Police Secrecy

August 25, 2020, New York – Today, a federal court ruled that Communities United for Police Reform (CPR), represented by the Center for Constitutional Rights and the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, may intervene in a lawsuit brought by five New York City police unions, as well as corrections and firefighter unions, that seeks to block the City from publishing officer misconduct and discipline information and roll back the historic repeal of N.Y. Civil Rights Law § 50-a. The unions sued the City in July, after the New York State legislature repealed 50-a, a law that had shielded the records from the public, and the de Blasio administration announced plans to release a searchable NYPD misconduct database. Also last Friday, the court denied the unions’ request for a preliminary injunction blocking release of the records during the duration of the litigation.

More than 300,000 NYPD officer complaints over 35 years released in new database

08/20/2020
AM NY

Over 300,000 complaints about New York Police Department officer misconduct have been released due to a new database from the New York Civil Liberties Union published Thursday.

The complaints all come from reports compiled from the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent agency that investigates complaints of police wrongdoing against civilians.

The database contains information about 323,911 complaints dating back to 1985 concerning 81,550 different officers. That’s an average of 923 complaints a year.

For immediate release: August 21, 2020

Communities United for Police Reform Celebrates Denial Of Police Union’s Request for Injunction & Attempt to Rollback 50-a Repeal

New York, NY -- Today, U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied police unions’ request for a preliminary injunction to block the City of New York from publishing officer misconduct databases, with limited exceptions.
For immediate release: August 20, 2020

CPR Statement on Release of 300,000+ Complaints about NYPD Officers

New York, NY – Today, the Second Circuit Court lifted the stay that was preventing the New York Civil Liberties Union from publishing its database of NYPD officer misconduct records that it obtained from the New York City Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the independent agency that investigates certain complaints about police abuse of civilians. The database is now live here, and it contains information about more than 300,000 misconduct complaints that were investigated by the CCRB dating back to before 1985.

Pages